First note the special edition contains no additional gameplay, just feelies and other digital swag you'd normally expect to be packaged in a limited edition boxed release. These are of similar quality and style to game itself. The game is less of a remake and more of a reconstruction from the ground up. For old fans wondering if it recaptures the old shadowgate experience, yes it does, but don't expect to be faced with the same old puzzles we've seen again and again in the previous shadowgate ports. The essence of what makes shadowgate what it once was is still there, but puzzles, map even the story have been rewritten and expanded to make this revival a bigger grander new experience to recapture the attention of old fans and delight the new. While the new puzzles are quite challenging the game now has many new modes to curb the difficulty for new players and still provide the hardcore experience for old fans. Achievements unique to different modes and the new unlockable hidden deaths mode which will have you searching for old a new creative ways to kill your character (a homage to old adventure games like kings quest and the original shadowgate) provide an modicum of replayability this genre usually lacks. Race against the clock as each mode gives you only a limited amount of time and resources to reach the end before the world ends or your life is snuffed out, also note the attention given to the new narrative. The plot is much the same as the original but now told in much more detail with written lore, voice acting and stylised cutscenes to give a sense of epicness to your quest to save the world from the dark wizard. Whether you are a fan of the original or just point and click adventure games in general you owe it to yourself to experience this lovingly crafted remake of this much adored classic. The industry needs more remakes like this and the monkey island special editions to offset the influx of shovel ware hidden object games polluting the genre.
First let's be clear here, this DLC contains no additional gameplay. It contains purely promotional material, feelies and other digital swag to complement your experience from outside the game. The digital map and hint comic obviously give away clues to help you complete the game which may or may not be desirable before completing it for the first time (wallpapers may give away clues to finding some of the hidden deaths and plot developments as well). This much as the rest of the content of this pack depends on personal taste. The wallpapers, calender and digital artbook all share a similar art style which may or may not appeal to you and the same can be said about the large assortment of MP3's. That said all the content of the package has been lovingly crafted and provides some great material to continue to indulge in the shadowgate experience once the game is over. Fans of the original soundtrack will love the provided chiptunes and remixes and many will enjoy the atmosphere of the new orchestral soundtrack. The wallpapers capture what will be many of your favourite memories from the game and personally I find art books always make a great addition to any game package. While I wont use the calendar personal I'm sure there are some who will get a years worth of use out of it. The comic is a nice touch to boot. That said it is quite pricey given the absence of ingame content but be aware the soundtrack is quite lengthy and buying an equivelent length album on say itunes or amazon would command a similar price by itself. I don't recommend it to just anyone, but you can look and listen to the art and music style of game for yourself to see if it suits your taste as this content is more of same for people who can't get enough shadowgate (especially when they aren't playing).
This is less of a remake and more of a reconstruction from the ground up. For old fans wondering if it recaptures the old shadowgate experience, yes it does, but don't expect to be faced with the same old puzzles we've seen again and again in the previous shadowgate ports. The essence of what makes shadowgate what it once was is still there, but puzzles, map even the story have been rewritten and expanded to make this revival a grander new experience to recapture the attention of old fans and delight the new. As you can see from the screen shots many iconic rooms from the original are back touched up and modernised in a striking art style. Don't expect them to serve the same purpose they once did though or you will probably get stuck. While the new puzzles are quite challenging the game now has many new modes to curb the difficulty for new players and still provide the hardcore experience for old fans. Achievements unique to different modes and the new unlockable hidden deaths mode which will have you searching for old a new creative ways to kill your character (a homage to old adventure games like kings quest and the original shadowgate) provide an modicum of replayability this genre usually lacks. Race against the clock as each mode gives you only a limited amount of time and resources to reach the end before the world ends or your life is snuffed out, also note the attention given to the new narrative. The plot is much the same as the original but now told in much more detail with written lore, voice acting and stylised cutscenes to give a sense of epicness to your quest to save the world from the dark wizard. Whether you are a fan of the original or just point and click adventure games in general you owe it to yourself to experience this lovingly crafted remake of this much adored classic. The industry needs more remakes like this and the monkey island special editions to offset the influx of shovel ware hidden object games polluting the genre.
